The invention relates to a method for producing individual material sections, more particularly, sheets of paper, according to a certain format, from a web-type, for example, imprinted object (object web), more particularly, a web of paper, fabric, plastic, or metal foil, wherein at least one separating means is used, with which the individual material sections are cut from the object web and are then removed from the cutting means. During the course of the cutting process or the actuation of the cutting means, at least one carrier is engaged with the object web. The invention further relates to a corresponding device for separating individual material sections, according to a certain format, from a web-type object (object web), wherein a cutting tool that can be brought into functional connection with the object web is provided, along with one or more transporting or conveying means. The latter are embodied for removing the separated material section once it has been cut off by the cutting tool. The transporting or conveying means comprise at least one carrier, which is embodied for engaging with and/or gripping the object web.
The invention further relates to a method for folding a material section, which can be an imprinted sheet of paper, for example, and has been produced particularly according to the above-described production and/or separation method. In this, a folding element is pressed against the cut-off material section in the region of an intended folding line. The invention further relates to a corresponding device for folding the material section, comprising a folding tool, which can be placed in engagement with the material section in the region of the intended folding line. Additionally, a gripper or some other type of carrier is allocated for interacting with the folding tool. The carrier can be placed in functional connection with or disconnected from the material section by means of a servo device.
Finally, the invention relates to a cutting and folding assembly for material in web or sheet form, for example, an imprinted paper web or imprinted sheets of paper, wherein the above-described separating and folding devices can be used.
Folding units are known in the field of printing machines, for example, for web-fed offset machines. The embodiment of said units as jaw folding units is particularly common. Coming from a fold former, a strand or an object web first reaches a cross-cutting unit, which consists of a two-part cutting blade cylinder, for example, which operates opposite a three-part folding blade cylinder. For this purpose, the latter is equipped with three cutting bars made of a flexible but sturdy material. The cutting blade is serrated in the manner of a saw, and executes a punching cut, in which the ends of the sheet, after being cut, therefore also appear serrated. The manner of folding by way of folding blade and folding jaw is characteristic of a jaw folding unit. To accomplish this, after cutting, a three-part folding blade cylinder and a two-part folding jaw cylinder, for example, interact. The jaw fold is produced in that, at the point of contact between folding blade and folding jaw cylinder, the folding blade emerges, cam-controlled, from the periphery of the cylinder, thereby forcing a multilayered, cut strand packet (sheets), for example, into the opened folding jaw, which is also cam-controlled. The folding jaw, which consists of a spring-mounted steel bar with an opposite bar, then immediately closes, and holds the (folded) product securely in place as the cylinder continues to move. After the folding process, the folding jaw reopens under cam control, and separation tongues that engage in grooves in the cylinder remove the folded product from the cylinder surface and allow it to fall, under gravitational and centrifugal force, leading with the spine of the fold, into a paddle wheel, where the product is braked between the curved paddles and is delivered in a fanned form (cf., Kipphahn (editor): Handbuch Printmedien [Handbook of Print Media], Springer Verlag 2000, pages 298-300).
EP 0 335 190 B1 discloses a folding unit comprising a collecting and folding cylinder. In addition to this cylinder, a cutting cylinder and a folding jaw cylinder are also provided.
EP 1 247 757 A1 describes a printed sheet folding device comprising a saddle-shaped folding blade, on which the printed sheets are folded in continuously running operation. The folding blade has a vertical, internal guiding element, which interacts with an outer, revolving folding element in the form of a revolving conveyor belt for folding the printed sheets.
DE 29 17 616 C2 describes a folding blade drive, which has a traveling linear motor. With every stroke of the secondary part of the motor, a folding blade is pressed in a downward direction, and presses a sheet to be folded between two folding rollers having stationary axes of rotation. The two opposite folding rollers continue to transport the folded sheets. A substantially similar folding assembly is also disclosed by DE 198 43 872 A1.
DE 10 2008 012 812 A1 describes a folding machine for a printing press. The folding machine comprises, among other elements, a folding cylinder, a holding cylinder, a conveyor belt section, a chopper folding device, two folding blade wheels and discharge conveyor devices. On the periphery of the folding cylinder, two pairs of folding blades are provided at intervals of approximately 180°. Also provided on the periphery of the folding cylinder are a pin device for web conveyance and a severing blade for severing the web. The folding cylinder presses the pins of the pin device onto the leader of the web and rotates while holding the web still. The chopper folding device comprises, among other elements, a chopper blade, which is moved back and forth vertically through a loop movement of a chopper arm, at a predefined timing sequence.
DE 100 55 582 A1 describes a device and a method for cutting a web, to be applied in web-fed rotary printing presses. Said device and method are provided for cutting a web into signatures of variable section lengths. To this end, the device is equipped with a plurality of cutting elements, which are movable in a straight line in the web direction for cutting the web into signatures, and is equipped with a plurality of gripper elements, which interact with the cutting elements. The cutting elements are moved in the signature cutting region in a straight line in the web direction. The signatures are gripped, and the length of the signatures is adjusted by controlling the distances between the cutting elements. Because the cutting elements and the gripper elements are able to enter the signature cutting region in a controlled manner, the signature length can be adjusted by controlling the distance between successive pairs of cutting and gripper elements in the signature cutting region.
DE 200 00 554 U1 describes a cutting press for cutting workpieces out of a foil. A height-adjustable cutting tool is disposed above a press bed plate. On both sides of the press bed plate, storing parts for blanked parts that have been blanked by the cutting tool are provided. Two cutting tools are rigidly connected to one another and can be moved together transversely such that one storing part is always covered by a cutting tool when the other cutting tool is positioned above the press bed plate. This enables an automatic delivery of blanked parts at the highest possible production speed.
DE patent publication 840 551 discloses a device for the incremental forward movement and the periodic cutting off of a packaging tape in an automatic folding machine. After each cutting process and before subsequent forward movements, the part of the tape that is to be cut off in the subsequent cutting operation is automatically retracted by an adjustable amount. Also provided are means for executing a control movement of constant amplitude and a loop-type sliding track, the position of which during operation can be adjusted as desired. In the sliding track, a sliding block is disposed for executing back and forth movements in the sliding track. This sliding block transfers a component of the back and forth movement to elements that are engaged with the tape, for the purpose of retracting said tape.
DE 101 33 213 A1 describes a cutting device for plate-type building panels. The cutting device is structured in the form of a table. A turntable, which is swivelable about its vertical axis, is recessed in the table surface, and has a blade clearance which is such that the cutting and milling tools acting from above and below on the plate-type building panel that is to be cut execute a longitudinal movement along the blade clearance. A cut extending transversely to the direction of transport of the building panel is also enabled thereby. The plate-type building panels are moved floating on a cushion of air above the table surface.
Particularly in the case of rotating folding units having rotating cutting blade cylinders, folding blade cylinders and folding jaw cylinders, the definition of the circumference of the folding blade cylinder results in a definition of a specific, whole-number multiple of the folding format to be produced (section length). More particularly, the folding blade cylinder and the cutting blade cylinder are implemented as rotating components with defined circumferential ratios. These ratios, together with the associated folding jaw cylinder, are geared for one print format. The folding format or the section length, which is determined according to the distance between the cutting tools on the outer surface of the cutting cylinder, is thus permanently established for the printing press in advance, and thereafter can no longer be adjusted.